


All I Want for Christmas

by DameoftheDark



Series: Dani Phantom [12]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: AU where danny sam and tucker are the opposite gender, F/M, I'm Sorry, Merry Christmas!, Some Fluff, kinda short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21963712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DameoftheDark/pseuds/DameoftheDark
Summary: Dani hates Christmas because her parents always fight and this year is no different. While the two adults bicker downstairs, the young heroine and her sister take refuge in the former's room, hoping to ignore the bitterness. Jazz brings up Vlad, and Dani decides to invite him over in an attempt to make the holiday a bit more bearable. After texting with him, it's clear that he isn't spending this time of year with family and that he's alone. With this revelation, Dani doesn't waste a moment; not only could they spend Christmas together, but he could start making good on his promise. He reluctantly agrees and once he arrives, Jack and Maddie forget their arguments and are thrilled beyond belief. Also, with the billionaire's help, both Jack and Maddie come to realize just what their fighting has done to their daughters, and together all five of them indulge in the true meaning of Christmas.
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters
Series: Dani Phantom [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1079526
Comments: 13
Kudos: 60





	All I Want for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas!!! 
> 
> P.S. Sorry if this isn't my best work. I was a little rushed for time and I wanted to get this out today.

T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring---if you don’t count the two middle aged adults yelling at each other. Both of their voices carried, piercing the walls of the ghost hunting residence. It wasn’t hard to imagine that their neighbors could hear them, nor was it hard to imagine that they were just as infuriated as the young heroine.

She sat on her bed, fists clenched, and face scrunched in anger. The girl was attempting to get some homework done but her parents proved to be too distracting.

Way too distracting.

The worries began shortly after Thanksgiving, were Jack was already arguing that Santa Claus was real. Maddie, of course, offered a rebuttal that kept the tension on high for the next few days. By the 1st of December, the two could barely even talk about Christmas without getting frustrated with each other. After a while, it stopped being about Santa Claus but was instead about how childish Jack could be and how uptight Maddie was at times. They started delivering low blows, with Maddie insinuating that the rotund father of two was no brighter than a dim bulb. She claimed that he lacked even the basic forms of common sense and was as gullible as a child. Jack, to his credit, was able to save himself by bringing Maddie’s family into it; not failing to bring up how Thanksgiving was nearly ruined when her sister threw the platter of stuffing at the wall. The boisterous father didn’t forget to mention how this happened of course, reminding Maddie that her sister was certifiable with regard to her temper and she should have known better than to ask her about her current marriage.

After that, there was no going back. For the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, Maddie and Jack did not speak; they did not eat meals together, they did not work on inventions together, nor did they sleep together.

Jack was banished to the couch.

However, the day before, they seemed to reconcile, for they were smiling and talking to each other as Maddie made dinner. Now, unfortunately, they were at it again.

Dani wanted to punch the wall, blast a dummy to smithereens, or kick the crap out of the Box Ghost, but she already did that the other day so the chance of finding him again would be slim to none.

She humored the idea of spending Christmas with Tucker, but she was out of town with her folks. Sam, her only other chance of salvation, had gone with his parents to Lake Tahoe to visit his father’s side of the family.

The ghost girl didn’t want to endure this wretched holiday alone, but apparently Sam had his cell phone taken away because he was using it to much; and the only reason Dani knew that was because the goth was able to call her on a hotel phone.

It was a pity he couldn’t stay on the line.

The geek, on the other hand, she could still text. But over the last hour, she hadn’t responded. The heroine groaned and flopped back on her bed. She wondered if Jazz was tuning their parents out, or if she was just as angry as she was. Dani’s blue orbs looked to her bedroom door as she contemplated finding out. She hadn’t been close to Jazz for a number of years, but things were different between them now. Since the Spectra incident, they were talking more and more, just like they did as little kids. Yes, the redhead was still overbearing and a bit of a know-it-all, but the young heroine knew that her sister meant well.

Plus, she had to be nice to her. She knew all about her and Vlad.

Dani rolled onto her stomach, still eyeing her door. Jazz was still not approving of their relationship, but the 18-year-old decided to let it go for the time being. Over Thanksgiving, she didn’t mention it once---but that was probably because of the family feud and the destroyed stuffing.

However, a few days before, Jazz took it upon herself to ask how things were going. Dani elected not to tell her about their past intimacy but instead kept her up on her training sessions and her patrols. Vlad was only able to come on a few of them---which Sam wasn’t too happy about---but it was of tremendous help. With Plasmius there, all the ghosts that normally caused the trio a bit of trouble were easily dealt with.

Jazz wasn’t too interested in that, of course, but Dani knew how to play the game. She told her that everything was fine between them---never better, in fact, and left it at that. Technically, she wasn’t lying, but not telling her the whole truth made her feel a little guilty. In addition, it appeared that Jazz knew she was doing this, because she had watched her with skeptical eyes but didn’t push the matter further.

The ghost girl was grateful, of course.

Now---as teenaged brains are want to do---Dani found herself missing her mentor. She let out a groan and rolled over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. What was he doing right now? Was he working?

_Nah, not on Christmas Eve. Even Vlad wouldn’t work on a holiday like Christmas Eve._

Was he with family? He never spoke about one, and the one time she tried to learn about his past he shut the conversation down. Was he alone?

Was he like her?

The girl sat up immediately. Could her mentor be all alone on a day like today? From Dani’s understanding, Christmas was supposed to be a time when people were surrounded by loved ones, basking in each other’s company and letting bygones be bygones.

Her heart ached, thinking about the possibility of her true love being completely alone. Without missing a beat, she reached for her cell phone, causing her now forgotten homework to fall on the floor. She flicked open the device with her thumb and opened the chat between her and the older man. The last text she sent was a night ago, when she told him to have a good night. In response, he sent her a smiley face.

Dani’s brow bore a weight of concern as she began typing. After but a few seconds, she sent him her message: // _hey, hows it going?_ //

The young girl held her cell phone tight, staring down at the screen. Then, a knock came at her door, making her jump. Before she could chastise the person responsible, the door opened and Jazz let herself into the heroine’s room.

“Hey, Dani,” she said, her aqua eyes alight with worry. “How are you doing?”

The ghost girl sighed and crossed her legs. “Feelin’ sucky. You?”

“Pretty much the same,” she replied as she closed the door behind her, muffling the fight that was still raging downstairs. “I was wondering how you were handling all this.”

“Like I always do,” Dani said dryly.

The 18-year-old walked over to his sister’s desk chair and sat down, her knees together and her posture the envy of the household.

“Dad’ll tire himself out eventually. That, or Mom will stomp off to the lab or something.”

“Is that supposed to cheer me up?”

Jazz sighed. “No, but I thought it would give you a bit of comfort.”

“What, that our parents are fighting like they hate each other’s guts and a ceasefire will only come when they get too tired to yell anymore instead of realizing they’re being complete idiots?”

The older teenager looked off to the side. “Point taken.”

“Argh! I just hate this stupid holiday!” Dani lamented as she flopped back down on her bed, her phone still in her hand.

“Christmas isn’t to blame, Dani. It’s like you said; Mom and Dad are being complete idiots. They’re letting one little disagreement get to them too much.”

“But it always starts with that stupid Santa thing!” she rebuked. “Then they fight over Dad being too childish and Mom being a stick in the mud, and it **always** gets worse!”

“I know, but---”

“They never fight any other time of year, its’ just Christmas! Do you even remember a time during Christmas where they weren’t fighting?”

“When we were little,” Jazz answered calmly. “When you were three, Mom and Dad were ogling over the holiday pajamas they got you and they didn’t argue once.”

“Well, I don’t remember that so that doesn’t count,” the ghost girl said defensively.

Once again, Jazz sighed.

“Is there any way we could just skip this holiday and get to New Year’s Eve?” the girl asked rhetorically.

“I’m afraid not.”

Dani sat up. “I just hate this.”

“I know you do.”

“I hate all the cold, the gift giving, the Santa outfits, and those **stupid** songs that keep playing over and over again on the radio!”

“You only hate those things because they remind you of Mom and Dad’s fighting.”

“Oh, and I suppose you’re gonna say that I hate all of those things because I don’t have parents that can provide that warmth and snuggly Christmas that most people have,” the heroine conjected as she narrowed her eyes and her sister.

“If you’re well aware of it, then I don’t need to say it,” Jazz replied plainly.

She was right. Dani wasn’t a fool; she knew the real reason she hated those things, always did. It still didn’t make her hate those things any less.

Maybe if she actually had a good Christmas---one she could actually remember---then perhaps she could learn to love this holiday.

But not before then.

Her phone vibrated, causing butterflies to swarm the girl’s stomach. Dani’s baby blues shot down to the screen of her phone and found her mentor’s response: // _All is well, thank you. How about you, little badger? I do hope you are enjoying yourself._ //

She furrowed her brow.

“Tucker, or is it Sam?” Jazz asked.

“It’s Vlad,” the ghost girl responded without looking at her sister.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” the older teenager stated as she crossed one leg over the other and crossed her arms. “You probably want to see him, huh?”

Her tone wasn’t cold or condescending, which came as a surprise.

“Yeah…at least with him, I wouldn’t have to hear Mom and Dad yelling anymore.”

Dani looked up at her sister, seeing a plain look on her face.

“N-not that I would leave you alone with them!” she said quickly.

The redhead chuckled. “Don’t worry, I know.”

“But still…I would be nice to see him.”

“I’m sure he’s with his family and friends,” Jazz informed. “I would be rude to disturb him.”

“Probably, but he’s never told me about his family or any friends.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any,” the older teen reminded.

“True.”

Dani looked back at her phone. Now, she wanted to know if he was with family or not.

// _wat r u up 2? Hanging out with family or other rich ppl?_ //

“Does he know that Mom and Dad fight around this time of year? Have you told him you don’t like Christmas?” the redhead inquired.

“It hasn’t come up,” Dani replied.

“Do you know if he likes Christmas?”

“Like I said, it hasn’t come up.”

// _No, I am just relaxing with a good book. It’s very interesting, if you’d like to borrow it._ //

“Wait, what?” the ghost girl asked, her face adorned with concern.

“What?”

“He’s alone…”

“Huh?”

Dani’s head whipped in Jazz’s direction. “Vlad’s all alone!”

“Whoa, Dani, calm down,” the older teen appeased. “Vlad’s an adult, I think he can handle being alone.”

“But on a day like today? Isn’t that against the law or something?”

“I thought you didn’t care about that?” Jazz inquired, looking rather perplexed.

“I don’t, but this is Vlad where talking about,” the heroine explained. “I can’t just leave him all alone on Christmas Eve!”

The redhead stared at the younger teen for a bit. She blinked, then put her finger up in a gesture of suggestion.

“Why don’t you invite him over here for Christmas?”

The young half ghost’s concern features gave way for a look of utter surprise. Did she really say what she think she said?

“Wait, really?”

“Sure. I mean, it is a little sad to be alone at this time of year, and this will kill two birds with one stone: get Mom and Dad to stop fighting and finally get Vlad to make good on his promise to you.”

Jazz had a good point. With the billionaire over, the rotund father of two would be too excited to fight anymore, and perhaps Maddie would just be happy to see her old college friend again. In addition, it would provide an opportunity for the tycoon to start talking to them once more.

However, Dani hadn’t forgotten her mentor’s reservations. The last time they discussed the topic, Vlad made it quite clear that he wasn’t ready to let bygones by bygones just yet. He was still angry over what happened, for reasons that Dani did and didn’t know about. Although, the reason for that anger was still lost on her; after all, if he wasn’t love with her mother anymore, then why stay mad? It wasn’t as if he didn’t like having ghost powers---on the contrary, in fact. Perhaps it was for grown up reasons, she surmised.

What those would be, she didn’t know.

Maybe it was good she didn’t.

“See what he thinks,” Jazz recommended.

“O.K.”

Dani looked back to her cell phone. Her stomach tingled and her heart rate increased.

// _so, jazz and I were wondering if u would like to come over tonite? It’s not good to b alone 4 christmas, u kno_ //

“There,” the heroine vocalized.

“I wonder if he’s always been alone for the holidays,” the redhead pondered out loud.

The ghost girl gazed at her sister again. “That’s terrible!”

“Has he really never mentioned his family before?”

“Well, I tried to ask him about his childhood once, but he said that subject was unpleasant for him.”

“I see,” the older teen said with sad eyes. “I guess he had it rough.”

“You think so?”

“What else could explain his reluctance?”

_Does Vlad not spend time with family because he doesn’t get along with them? Has he always been alone?_

And not just for Christmas; has the older man been alone all his life?

The young heroine’s heart felt heavy. If this was so, then how much was he alone? For how long was he all alone? Didn’t he have any fancy, billionaire friends to spend the holidays with? Surly he had friends when he was younger---was he not in contact with them?

Were Jack and Maddie his only friends?

“Dani?”

The girl blinked, focusing on her sister again.

“Are you O.K.? You look like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown.”

“Sorry, I’m fine,” she assured. “It’s just that…I’m probably overthinking things, but I can’t help but think that Vlad’s been alone for a long time.”

“But he’s not alone now, right?”

“No, but it’s still painful, being all by yourself for years and years.”

The older teen uncrossed her arms and held them in her lap.

“Why do you think he’s been by himself for a long time?” she asked sincerely.

“‘Cause talking about his past is such a sore subject. You should’ve seen the look on his face; he got all stiff and his face looked cold.”

“So, he probably had domestic issues growing up?” Jazz conjected.

“Possibly,” Dani stated with a nod.

“That would explain a lot.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s distant.”

“Distant?”

“Well, not to **you** , but I noticed that he’s quick with his speech. He keeps things brief, not getting too invested in the other person he’s talking to.”

“How would you know? You didn’t even talk to him that long, and you didn’t even go to the reunion,” Dani said almost defensively.

“I didn’t have to. From the time it took us to get from his foyer to our rooms in his castle---that was all I needed.”

_Of course, ‘cause she’s a genius who picks up on things quickly._

“I’m not trying to insult him, Dani,” Jazz reassured. “All I’m saying is that it makes sense that he would’ve had a troubled childhood given how he acts now.”

“I guess so…”

Dani’s phone vibrated. Without missing a beat, she looked down at the screen.

// _I wouldn’t want to intrude. I’m sure your parents want to have a nice holiday with you and your sister._ //

“He’s not going for it,” the ghost girl said sadly.

“Well, you don’t want him to be alone, do you?”

The question surprised the heroine. “You mean, you really want him here?”

“Don’t you?”

“Well, duh, but I’m just shocked that you---”

“It’s not like I hate the man,” the redhead explicated. “In fact, I don’t dislike him at all.”

“But…”

“I may not fully approve of your relationship with him, but I’ve never hated Vlad for it. If anything, I’m concerned about what may happen to you in the end.”

Dani adopted a frown. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

“And you can say that now, but you can’t account for the future. Besides, I’m not saying that he will hurt you intentionally. To be honest, I don’t think he would, given how much he cares about you, but you have to understand that in a relationship like this, things could get messy.”

“Then we’ll deal with it together,” the young half ghost proclaimed. “I’m not afraid.”

Jazz sighed. “I guess when you have you mind set on something.”

Dani smirked. “Not so fun when you have to deal with someone else’s stubbornness, huh?”

The older teen smiled and released the tension in her shoulders.

“So, what should I say to make him come over?”

“Please, he’s a **guy** ,” the redhead said while looking off to she side. “Just tell him you miss him or that you’ll be real happy to spend Christmas with him.”

Dani stared at her sister, blinking rapidly before responding: “I guess I could do that.”

Facing her phone again, the half ghost felt a sudden rush of nerves. What was she going to say exactly? Should she be flirty or honest?

Or both?

_Maybe both._

// _I would really like 2 see u tho. I miss u. And I think it would b a good opportunity 4 u 2 talk 2 mom and dad again_ //

After a few seconds, Dani received the billionaire’s response: // _Am I correct in assuming that you are trying to butter me up so that I might make good on my word, Danielle?_ //

“Well, shoot, I’ve been found out,” she muttered.

“I had a feeling Vlad would figure it out. I mean, he’s not a fool.”

“But it’s not just that. I don’t want him to be by himself.”

“Well, tell him that.”

Dani sighed.

// _kinda? But I was serious when I said I wanted 2 see u. I thought it would b nice to spend Christmas together_ //

// _Believe me, little badger, I would love nothing more than to cuddle with you in front of a warm fire, but even I understand that this is a time that family is meant to be together. It would be rather strange if I was to stop by and insert myself into your evening._ //

// _but my parents wouldn’t care about that. They’d b so happy 2 have u over!_ //

// _I realize that, but even so, I don’t think it would be my place._ //

// _ur just saying that becuz u don’t want 2 talk 2 my parents yet._ //

// _Danielle, understand, this is still a touchy subject for me._ //

Dani felt torn. On the one hand, she wanted to respect his wishes, but she also didn’t want him to spend the Christmas Holiday alone again.

Perhaps subtly wasn’t going to help in this case.

// _Vlad, I don’t want u 2 spend Christmas by urself._ //

“What did he say?” Jazz asked.

“He’s still not going for it,” the younger teen said with a frown.

// _Danielle, I am flattered by your concern, more than you can possibly understand, but I am used to this sort of thing. I have spent many Christmases alone._ //

// _but that’s so sad! U shouldn’t have 2! Especially not since we’re dating now!_ //

// _I appreciate what you are trying to do, and at the end of the day, it is the thought that counts._ //

// _plz?_ //

// _Is that supposed to be “please”?_ //

// _yes_ //

// _Oh, I see._ //

“Jazz, help me out here,” Dani requested. “He said that he’s used to it!”

“Well, maybe he **wants** to be alone,” the redhead reasoned.

_No one really wants to be alone._

If Dani knew anything about Vlad, it was that he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible---he wasted no opportunity. Of course, this wasn’t to say that she thought of herself as such a desirable person to be around. The young heroine wasn’t so conceited, but she knew how much the older man loved being with her. The only reason that the tycoon didn’t want to this time was due to her parents.

Moreover, no one should be left alone during the holidays. It was just too sad.

And Dani knew how that felt.

// _I’ll tell you what, I’ll come, but on one condition; you never leave my side._ //

“Wait, really?” the girl rhetorically, a smile blooming on her face.

“What, what is it?”

“Vlad said he’ll do it! He said he’ll come over!” the young heroine enthused, practically jumping for joy.

“That’s great!” the older teen said with a smile of her own.

“This’ll be great! Vlad’ll be here with us and Mom and Dad will stop fighting and Vlad won’t have to be alone!”

“You’re also just happy that you get to see him,” Jazz teased, crossing her arms again.

“Yeah, so?” Dani replied with a quick pout before smiling once again. “It doesn’t matter anyway! This year, Christmas is actually going to be good for once!”

Several minutes later, the older man told Dani that he was going to be over in half an hour, giving the girl plenty of time to prepare. Her stomach filled with butterflies as she launched herself off her bed and scrambled to her closet. She had been wearing her pajamas, and those simply wouldn’t do for a visit from Vlad. As she searched through her hangers for something a bit more presentable, Jazz rolled her eyes and grinned.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” she commented. “You, getting dressed for a guy…it’s too bad that the guy in question is not someone your own age and is instead an old friend of our parents.”

“We don’t choose who we fall in love with,” the heroine stated over her shoulder.

“I guess not,” the 18-year-old responded with a nod. “Anyway, we should let Mom and Dad know that Vlad’s on his way here.”

The ghost girl, red knitted sweater in hand, adopted a look of realization.

“Oh shoot, you’re right! Can you go downstairs and tell them?”

“Why me? He’s **your** boyfriend.”

“Well…it’s not like Mom and Dad need to know that!”

“Sure, but that’s not the issue here.”

“Yeah, but it was your idea to invite him over!” Dani pointed out.

Jazz rose an eyebrow. “True, but you didn’t have to agree to it.”

The heroine looked at her sister with an expression of disbelief

“I thought you were supposed to be the grown up,” she said as her hands found her hips. “I would’ve thought that going to Mom and Dad and telling them about a visitor as they’re fighting was an adult thing to do.”

“Be that as it may---”

Jazz stopped herself. She looked off to the side and went silent, with her lips slightly parted. It looked like she was attempting to listen for something.

“What?” Dani asked as she slipped on the sweater.

“Can you hear that?”

“No.”

“Exactly,” the older teen said before going silent again for a few seconds. “Mom and Dad have stopped fighting.”

Jazz went for the door with Dani not for behind her. The girls exited the room and walked out onto the landing, which was decorated with a vibrant green garland that was adorned with faux holly berries. They looked out onto the living room, which housed a wreath in every window and a tall Christmas Tree in the corner of the room, closest to the kitchen. It was decorated with a gold tinsel and white lights, with red and green balls placed all around the tree. In addition, red, green, and white streamers hung from the ceiling and a pair of nutcrackers resided on the mantel of the fire place.

The sisters looked about the room but found their parents to be absent. However, they did hear muffled speech from the next room.

“The kitchen,” they said to each other.

The girls descended the stairs and cautiously walked into the kitchen, where they saw Maddie at the stove and Jack in the doorway of the lab, a concerned look on his face.

“Look honey, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just---”

His blue eyes happened to serve in the direction of the teenagers, and then his look of concern gave way to one of surprise.

“Girls! Ah---How’s it going?” he asked clumsily.

Maddie turned around, her own features bearing a look of frustration.

“Oh, great! See, Jack? You’re concerning Dani and Jazz!”

The rotund father to two looked back at Maddie and glared.

“Oh, **I’m** concerning them? Maybe they happened to hear your shrill voice as it complained **rather loudly** about how unreliable and guidable I apparently am!”

“So, my voice is shrill now?” the stunning woman questioned as her head whipped in his direction. “At least I make up for that by having a vocabulary that’s above a fifth-grade level!”

“Books were never my strong suit!” he defended. “I always preferred to figure things out with my hands!”

“That explains why nothing is ever fixed around here,” Maddie remarked, almost under her breath.

“Uh…guys?” the ghost girl interjected, her tone leaking with uncertainty.

“What?” they both responded.

“So…uh…we just---Jazz and I---we just wanted to tell you that we invited someone over for Christmas…”

Both parents looked stunned. They shared a look before Maddie replied to this rather odd information.

“You did…?” she trailed off, her words laced with confusion.

“It’s not from your mother’s side of the family, is it?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Maddie shot him a glare as Jazz stepped in.

“No, no one from either side of the family---just someone who’s all alone for the holidays, and we thought that he should be around old friends.”

_Smooth as always, Jazz._

“Is it someone we know?” Maddie inquired, sounding suspicious.

“Actually, yeah,” the heroine piped up. “You know him pretty well.”

“Ooo, ooo! Can we guess who it is?” Jack asked, his face adorned with a smile. His eyes sparkled like a child’s and he was shaking his fists.

“Uh…sure…?” Dani said as she looked at her sister.

“Why not?” Jazz put forth with a shrug.

“O.K., O.K., is it…is it Mr. Drew from down the street?”

“That sweet old man? No, he’s at his grandkids’ place in Colorado, remember?”

“Oh right. So…what about Jerry Dunbar?”

“Jack, he moved away 6 months ago,” Maddie reminded.

“Did he? Oh, I guess he did. He was such a funny guy.”

Dani remembered him; he was a former comedian from Chicago who loved to tell jokes through puppets. He was hysterical, and as a little kid, Dani would always go to his place with Jazz. He would make them laugh and serve them hot cocoa, even in the summer Mr. Dunbar lived just next door to them and he could always be found on the front steps, reading the newspaper and chatting with passersby.

He was a friendly guy. It was too bad that he had to move to Florida.

_Something about arthritis, I think._

“O.K., so it’s not him either…” the orange-wearing man pondered to himself.

“Girls, who did you invite over?” Maddie asked, her tone suggesting that a sense of annoyance was growing.

“Uh---” they both began before being interrupted by the doorbell. All four family members turned to the front door, no one moving to answer it. Dani, for one, was frozen in surprise. It hadn’t been 30 minutes yet, so it couldn’t be the billionaire…right?

Was he here already? Did he fly over or did he break every traffic law between Fenton Works and Mayor’s Grove?

He didn’t seem too enthusiastic about the idea to begin with, but perhaps her presence at his side sweetened the deal a bit.

Maddie frowned and walked across the kitchen, passing her daughters without saying a word. The ghost girl theorized that her mother fully intended on politely turning the person away---of course, until she knew who that person was.

Jack followed behind, with Jazz and Dani bringing up the rear. The stunning mother of two approached the door and took hold of the knob. The heroine felt her blood pressure increase, thinking that there was a chance that Maddie was in such a foul mood that not even Vlad’s presence would change her mind.

Before the younger half ghost could say a word, Maddie opened the door. On the other side of the threshold was indeed Vlad Masters. He was wearing a red flannel button up under a black sweater as well as a pair of blue jeans and polished black loafers. As per usual, his hair was tied back into a low ponytail, and upon his wrist was a Rolex.

“Vlad?” the woman vocalized, her eyes wide.

“Maddie, you look as lovely as ever,” the older man stated as he held his arms behind him.

Dani felt her eye twitch as her father bounded past her.

“Vladdie? Vladdie!” he exclaimed as he threw his large arms around the business tycoon. “I can’t believe it! You came to visit us!”

“Yes, well, you should thank your daughters; they’re the ones who invited me,” he said as he shifted uncomfortably in Jack’s bear hug.

Both Jack and Maddie looked in the direction of the teenagers. Dani laughed nervously and Jazz nodded with smile.

“We figured that since he wasn’t spending this time of year with family---and since you hadn’t seen him in a while---it would be nice to have him over.”

Both parents stared at Jazz with amazed expressions. It was clear that they had questions, but were too ecstatic and surprised to ask any of them. The heroine rubbed the back of her head and sent her gaze to the carpet, feeling her gut dance and her heart race. Having the business mogul in her house was a delight she thought she wouldn’t get to experience much, and ever since his visit on Halloween, she secretly hoped for another opportunity like that one. And just like last time, she would be able to be by his side.

Unlike last time, however, she wouldn’t get to snuggle with him.

She’d be lucky if she could even sit next to him at dinner.

Then, a troubling thought careened into her mind: what if she got flustered tonight? What if she couldn’t hide her feelings for Vlad from her mother? Being a perceptive woman, Maddie would be able to pick up on anything remotely related to feelings of the heart, especially if they came from a teenaged girl who wore her emotions on her sleeve.

_Oh no, I’m dead! What am I gonna do? Vlad wants me to never leave his side, but how can I act like a rational human being when he’ll be **right next to me** all night?? _

As if on cue, Dani felt a pair of eyes on her. Looking to the door, she saw her mentor gazing at her, eyes bearing right into her very being. Instinctually, she averted her baby blues.

“Well…I never expected to see you here,” Maddie admitted. “Please, come in, Vlad.”

“Thank you kindly.”

Jack released the billionaire and he stepped into the house. He had been here once before, but he looked around as if he had never seen the place.

“You couldn’t have driven all the way from Madison on such short notice,” the stunning mother of two said as she closed the door.

“How astute of you, Maddie. No, I did not drive here from Madison---I did not need to. You see, I moved here not but a few months ago. I wished to surprise you, so I didn’t mention it when we bumped into each other at the Nasty Burger last month.”

“Really?” Jack inquired with great interest. “Oh, V-man, that’s so like you! Always having the upper hand, eh?”

The tycoon chuckled. “Indeed, Jack, you know me so well.”

“But, how did you get in touch with the girls?” Maddie asked, looking over her shoulder at her daughters.

“When I moved here, I happened to run into Danielle, and upon recognizing her, I struck up a conversation. We traded numbers after talking for a while, as she was in **desperate** need of a good tutor. She was also on board with the surprise from the very start.”

“He’s been tutoring you for several months and you never mentioned it?” Maddie inquired.

“Uh…nope! Nope, Vlad wanted me to keep the secret, so I didn’t say a word,” Dani lied smoothly.

“Wow…that’s so sweet of you Dani!” Jack enthused. “Wanting to surprise us like that!”

“I have to admit, I’m shocked you were able to keep this from us,” Maddie confessed as she shook her head.

_Yeah, and that’s not the **only** thing. _

_There’re two really **big** things you don’t know about, and if I have any say in it you never will._

“Heck, Dani didn’t even tell me about it until a while ago,” the redhead added.

The heroine shot her sister a scowl and in response Jazz simply grinned.

“But still, being able to keep something like this from us for so long…” Maddie noted.

“Hey, who cares! Vladdie’s here to spend Christmas with us and he’s even living in town!” Jack exclaimed.

“Well…I guess it doesn’t really matter,” Maddie conceited, a smile spreading across her face. “It’s so good to see you again, Vlad.”

“The feeling is mutual, Maddie,” the billionaire stated with a smile of his own. “I look forward to catching up after 20 long years.”

“It has been too long, hasn’t it?”

“Far too long for my tastes,” the older half ghost said, lifting his chin up a fraction.

“Agreed!” Jack chimed in with a clap. “There’s so much I want to talk you about, V-man! I can’t wait to tell you all about our ghost hunting inventions and breakthroughs! Plus, I can’t wait to share with you all the embarrassing photographs from the girls’ childhoods!”

Vlad laughed as both Jazz and Dani face palmed.

“But first, I need to get back to dinner or we’ll never eat,” the mother of two stated before heading back to the kitchen. Jack, with a big smile, offered to help, and even asked Vlad if he would join them in the next room. The older half ghost took him up on his offer and followed him. Dani was amazed by her mentor’s efforts and it showed in her youthful features. It really appeared as if he was trying to act civilly. He didn’t seem to be angry or annoyed at all; he wasn’t tense or curt, nor was he making off-hand remarks or rude comments.

Maybe he didn’t need her by his side. Maybe he could handle her parents on his own.

Then, just as she was turning to Jazz, the young heroine caught Vlad’s gaze out of the corner of her eye. She looked at him and found his friendly expression completely gone, replaced by a commanding stare. His navy eyes---even from across the room---bore into hers, silently demanding her attention. The man’s stance was stiff, with his back ramrod straight and his fist clenched over his other hand (his arms were still behind his back and he was looking at her from the side).

_Well, so much for that._

Dani walked up to her mentor, eyes glued to his. Once at his side, he turned to Maddie and entered the kitchen, catching the young girl off guard. Not but a moment ago, he looked tense, radiating an aura that just screamed “I don’t want to be here”, and now he was acting just like he did before! Either he was a master actor or her parents were actually fools.

The ghost girl trailed after Vlad and took a seat at the kitchen table. She watched him as he leaned up against the counter, standing next to her mother. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled as she stirred the scalloped potatoes that sizzled in the pan, all while they listened to Jack’s enthusiastic story about the invention of the Fenton Finder.

Jazz entered the room and sat next to Dani. The redhead leaned in close and kept her voice at a whisper.

“So, what’s the deal? Why did Vlad agree to come when he hates Mom and Dad so much?”

“He doesn’t hate them!” the ghost girl replied in a similarly quiet tone. “He just…has issues with them…”

“He’s got issues all right.”

“Vlad agreed to come here if I promised to stay by his side,” the girl said with a hint of venom on her voice.

“I had a feeling it was something like that. But you know you can’t really keep that promise.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t you think Mom and Dad will find it odd that their daughter is constantly near their old college pal?”

“Maybe I’m just interested.”

“Oh, you’re interested all right, and they’ll notice.”

“Maybe not!”

“They’re not idiots, Dani; they may be a bit clueless at times, but they’re not complete idiots, especially Mom.”

Jazz was right. Just like Dani herself had surmised, Maddie would notice something going on. Although, with Vlad being as good an actor as he seemed to be, the worst what would happen would be Maddie learning that her youngest had feelings for the older man---a harmless crush, perhaps. There was no way Vlad would let it slip that he had feelings for her as well, let alone his relationship status.

“It’s fine, Jazz,” the heroine reassured. “Vlad’s got it handled.”

“You mean that you don’t?”

“I’ll do my best to make sure I’m not too obvious.”

“I think you’ll need to do more than just your best,” the redhead said as she looked at the billionaire.

The ghost girl furrowed her brow and also looked at the billionaire. Seeing him, leaning up against the cabinetry so casually, and seeing him dressed as such---it was a flattering scene. He chuckled, smiled, and talked so normally one would think he was actually enjoying himself. Although, perhaps he was in a small way. Dani found it hard to believe that the businessman was faking all of it; he seemed to be so content, relaxed even. Maybe on a small level, Vlad was actually having fun, even if he didn’t realize it himself.

Over the next hour, the adults discussed things that Dani didn’t understand (nor cared to) and Jazz would jump in with her input. Vlad was surprised by her maturity and knowledge of these topics, while the heroine just rolled her eyes. Every now and then, the tycoon would get Dani involved with the conversation, but she wouldn’t contribute much and then she would just go back to watching him.

Once dinner was ready, Maddie dished out servings of chicken, scalloped potatoes, roasted broccoli, and rolls for everyone. As the woman fixed her plate, she told everybody to head into the dining room. Dani, fork in mouth, strolled into the next room, which was decorated with a crème colored tablecloth that sported images of cardinals and mistletoe. She took a seat to the right of the head of the table, leaving one chair between it and her. Jazz came in next, deciding to take the seat directly across from her. Jack and Vlad entered together, with the former still regaling the billionaire about his daring attempt to capture a rather persistent ghost.

Thank goodness he wasn’t talking about Dani Phantom.

Jack sat down next to Jazz and Vlad took his seat across from him, right next to Dani. The heroine cleared her throat in an attempt to distract herself from his close proximity. This didn’t seem to catch her father’s attention though.

_Looks like I get to sit next to him after all._

Of course, Vlad had to make certain of that.

Then Maddie strolled in and took her place at the head of the table. As the meal progressed, the adults caught up on almost everything since their college days. Dani couldn’t help but watch Vlad as he recounted his journey to riches as well as the many revolutionary advancements his tech companies had made. Maddie stated that such a thing was really impressive, especially in just under 10 years. Jack agreed and asked if he had considered going into or even funding ghost hunting.

“What, do you wish to secure a grant from me, Jack?” the pompous billionaire joshed.

“Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt,” the man replied honestly. “Things are always a bit tight around here.”

“That may have more to do with your frivolous spending habits. I seem to remember that you weren’t that much better in college; you were always buying the best lab equipment, even when it wasn’t required for the courses we took.”

“What can I say? I didn’t like the equipment the school gave us. It wasn’t the best.”

“And unfortunately, old habits die hard,” Maddie said with a knowing look shot in her husband’s direction.

“Hey, I like buying things for my girls!” the father of two rebuked.

“It’s not that, Jack, it’s spending the money we don’t have,” Maddie explained. “This is what I was trying to mention earlier, but you just assumed I meant all of it and then you had to bring my sister into things again.”

“Well, you had that tone in your voice.”

Maddie’s eyebrow twitched. “Oh, you mean the **shrill** one?”

“I can’t tell if you’re going to yell at me or send me to the couch,” Jack stated as he took a bite of his chicken.

“First of all, I only send you to the couch at night,” the woman explicated. “And second, I would only yell if you weren’t listening to me.”

“Right, because yelling is a good way to get people to listen,” the man said with an eyeroll.

“It’s the only way **you** listen!” Maddie said in a raised tone of voice. “Otherwise, you’re always droning on and on about your next invention idea!”

“You said you liked hearing about my ideas!”

“Not when I’m trying to have a discussion with you! It feels like I’m talking to a child!”

“Oh, so it all comes back to that---me being gullible and unreliable.”

“Maddie, Jack,” Vlad stepped in. “There’s no need for this. It’s Christmas Eve, or heaven’s sake.”

“It’s fine, V-man,” the orange-wearing father of two said with a hand up. “Wouldn’t want you to have to defend someone who’s unreliable.”

“Oh, would you just---” Maddie began but was interrupted.

“Really, that’s enough,” the tycoon said assertively. “How can you two behave like this on a day like today? It’s no wonder why Danielle hates this holiday so much.”

The ghost girl looked up from her plate in shock. She never told the older man that she hated Christmas, so how had he figured it out?

And more importantly, why was he making it known to her parents?!

The girl gazed at her folks, who were staring back at her with agape expressions. Maddie set her fork down and leaned forward slightly, indicating that her attention was entirely on her youngest.

“Dani…is that true?”

“Do you actually hate Christmas?” Jack asked, his brow heavy with concern.

“Uh---”

“You guys are always fighting at this time of year,” Jazz spoke up, her face stern as she clinked her fork against her plate. “It’s like you save up all year.”

Jack and Maddie glanced at each other.

“It always starts with that stupid Santa debate, and then it devolves into Dad being like a child and Mom being a huge stick in the mud.”

Dani looked at the tablecloth without really seeing it. This was not how she wanted this night to go. For once, she just wanted a normal Christmas Eve dinner without any confrontations or arguing. For once, she just wanted to be with those she loved and forget how awful the last several Christmases had been.

“And because you’re always fighting, the whole holiday is ruined,” the redhead added, crossing her arms and wearing a glare that would make the devil proud.

“Is it…” Maddie began after a long pause. “Is it really that bad?”

“It is,” the business mogul affirmed. “Danielle dreads this holiday ever year.”

“How…” the ghost girl asked quietly. “How did you know that?”

“Oh, please, Danielle, it was obvious,” Vlad said with a hand wave. “Every time Christmas songs came on the radio this past week, you’d display this rather remarkable look of disdain.”

“I did…?”

“Dani,” Maddie stared, eyes full of concern. “Do you really hate Christmas because of your father and I?”

The young heroine looked at each person at the dinner table. Jazz simply nodded and Vlad smiled tenderly at her. They were silently giving her their support, and once she looked back at her parents, she felt that she could be truthful.

She never wanted to tell them any of this. She feared their reaction, or lack thereof. Apparently, Dani had forgotten that above it all, her parents loved her and would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. They were human, like anyone else, and as such they were prone to making mistakes. Jack and Maddie had their own issues, but in the end, those issues had become family issues since they allowed it to affect every last Christmas in recent memory.

However, this did not make them bad people.

“Yeah,” Dani confessed, making eye contact with her mother. “It’s like Jazz said; you guys would fight and it would make everything unpleasant. It’s been like this for a long time.”

“It…it has?”

“Oh no…” Jack exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve been hurting the girls.”

“We…I don’t…” Maddie stammered, truly speechless, and with a look of abject shame upon her face.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” the billionaire chimed in. “Now is the time to amend them.”

Jack and Maddie looked at each other.

“Jack, I’m so sorry. I bottle everything up year after year, and every time Santa Claus is brought up, I remember everything you’ve done that annoyed or irritated me. I didn’t deal with my frustrations properly and instead of talking to you I buried myself in our work until Christmas, where I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

“Oh, Maddie, I’m sorry too,” the rotund man responded. “I know, I can be a bit silly sometimes, and it’s a wonder why you still put up with me, but I should recognize that you and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, and that isn’t a bad thing.”

Maddie nodded. “You’re right, I’m so sorry.”

“Come here, you,” Jack said as he spread his arms open. Maddie rose from her chair and embraced her husband. Tears rolled down the woman’s cheeks as Jack wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry too,” Dani said, causing everyone to look in her direction.

“Why in the world are you sorry?” Maddie asked, rubbing her face with her hand.

“Maybe if I tried to bring this up sooner, Christmas could’ve been better a lot sooner.”

“Dani, this is not your fault,” the mother of two reassured. “Your father and I were being complete idiots. Don’t blame yourself for even as instant.”

“She’s right, kiddo,” Jack said. “From now on, we will make sure that Christmas is something you and Jazz look forward to all year long.”

“And Vlad,” Maddie began, casting her gaze to the billionaire. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For helping us realize this. We were morons for not seeing what our fighting was doing to the girls, especially Dani. Christmas is supposed to be a time spent with your family, where you forget the year’s stresses and celebrate togetherness, and we ruined that year after year.”

The older half ghost smiled warmly. “What’re friends for?”

Dani looked at her mentor with surprised eyes. Did he really see them as friends again?

“Dani, we’re so sorry” Maddie said as her eyes found her youngest. “We should’ve realized that our bickering would affect you.”

“Its O.K.,” the heroine replied with a small smile. “I just want things to be different from now on.”

“Of course, sweetie, of course they’ll be,” the woman affirmed as she left Jack’s arms and walked over to Dani, hugging her tight when she was able. The ghost girl returned the hug, feeling her mother’s warmth absorb into her skin and comfort her very soul.

Though she had been disappointed in the past, Dani had a feeling that this year would be different---this, and all the years to come after. Now, Christmas was something that she could, and would, look forward to.

*************

After dinner, the Fentons and their guest went into the living room. All five of them talked for 2 hours about all sorts of things, from school to work to even the last Packer’s game. Jack was as big a fan of the team as Vlad was, which was a surprise to Dani and Jazz. The men talked about the team for a solid 20 minutes before Maddie thought to change the subject. To Dani, the billionaire seemed to be---once again---enjoying himself. He and Jack got on like old friends should. It would come as a shock to anyone else watching that the tycoon harbored a hatred for the boisterous father.

At around 9 o’clock, Maddie decided it was time to get ready for bed. She claimed that Christmas morning would come faster if they all went to bed now.

“Wait, but what about V-man?” Jack inquired, looking at his old college pal.

“Oh, don’t concern yourself. I’ll simply head home and---”

“To a big empty house in Mayor’s Grove? I don’t think so,” the father asserted. “You can stay with us!”

“That’s a great idea, Jack,” Maddie agreed. “Oh, but…we don’t have a guest room.”

“You can sleep in Dani’s room!”

If the girl had been drinking anything, she would have spit it out.

“Huh?!”

“Jazz, you don’t mind sharing your room tonight, do you?” Jack asked his oldest.

“No, not at all,” the redhead responded before looking at her sister.

“That’s alright with you, right Dani?” Maddie inquired.

“Uh---yeah! Sure, I don’t mind!” the ghost girl said quickly.

She heard the older man chuckle next to her, and if her parents weren’t in plain sight, she would’ve elbowed him.

Both parents said goodnight and as they headed up the starts, Jazz turned to the young heroine.

“I have a futon you can use. It’s in the closet,” she explained.

“O.K.”

“I’ll go set it up,” the 18 year old said as she turned and made her way to the stairs. Once she was at the bottom, she continued. “Come on up when you’re ready. Just…don’t stay down here **too** long.”

The older teen trekked up the stairs and out of view. Dani knew what Jazz was getting at, and she wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or annoyed by her sister’s gesture.

_I think I’ll go with grateful. Sounds less irritating._

Then she turned to her mentor. “So, I hope you don’t mind sleeping in my---”

Vlad embraced her and crashed his lips against hers. The young heroine was surprised by the urgency of the kiss and it took her a moment to ease into it. She slid her arms around his neck and he groaned, which made her heart flutter. The older man’s hands caressed her back, with one moving up to her shoulder blades and the other down to the small of her back. Once his tongue found its way into her mouth, Dani felt like her knees would give out.

After what felt like minutes, Vlad finally pulled away, but he was only mere inches from her face.

“Oh…I have been waiting all night to do that,” he murmured, his eyes latched onto hers.

“R-really?” the girl asked, trying to sound like she wasn’t flustered at all, but failing miserably.

“I’ve been holding back all night,” he illuminated, pressing his forehead to hers. “I had no idea how hard it would be to keep myself from touching you; from kissing you.”

“W-was dealing with my parents really that bad?” the girl asked in a teasing way. “It looked like you were having a good time.”

“Your presence made it all bearable,” he said honestly, kissing her softly on the nose and then the cheek. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there.”

“So…” she began, a blush rising on her face. “You really **weren’t** having a good time?”

The older man looked deep into her eyes. “I’ve learned how to navigate in certain social situations, so it isn’t hard to but on airs.”

“You mean…pretending?”

“In essence.”

“But you really seemed to be happy, especially when you and Dad were talking about the Packers.”

Vlad’s gaze flashed with something interesting then. He seemed to be puzzled, troubled even. Did he not notice that he was having a good time or was the heroine **that** off?

“Plus, you even got my parents to finally stop fighting.”

“That was for you, sweetheart,” the businessman proclaimed. “Their insistent arguing was hurting you and I won’t allow anything to upset or hurt you.”

The girl’s heart fluttered again. Though she was troubled with regard to his claims, she couldn’t help but feel warm. Whether or not Vlad was actually acting all night remained to be seen, but Dani decided to let it go for now.

At this moment, she just wanted her Christmas to be perfect.

“But alas,” Vlad said with a sigh. “We are forced to sleep in different rooms, which serves to hurt **me**.”

She giggled. “There’s no way Mom and Dad would let us sleep in the same room.”

“No, they suspect nothing, but it wouldn’t be proper to allow a man who might as well be a stranger to their daughter to sleep in the same room as her.”

“I suppose so.”

Vlad smirked. “Never mind the fact that I’ve already shared your bed.”

Dani’s baby blues averted their gaze. “I-I guess…”

“And we’ve spooned on this couch before,” he added, looking at the furniture in question before looking back at the ghost girl.

“T-that’s right, we did…”

“If I had my way,” he began, pressing himself against her so that there was no space between them. “We would be doing much more on that couch.”

The young heroine buried her face in his sweater, feeling the soft texture of the fabric on her skin. The older man’s candor was just too much---far too much for her to handle.

“However, I suppose that’s neither here nor there,” he whispered, stroking her hair tenderly. “Perhaps it is time we head upstairs.”

“Already?” the girl mumbled, her tone shy.

Vlad chuckled. “I’m afraid so. If we stand like this any longer I fear I may act on my libido.”

“O-oh…right.”

The man kissed the top of Dani’s head, communicating his warm regard.

“Goodnight, little badger.”

“Goodnight,” Dani replied, gathering enough nerve to look him in the eye. His face was so full of love, so full of compassion---seeing it made her fall in love with him all over again.

“I love you,” he said, hugging her close.

“I love you too,” she said back, holding him tightly as something caught her eye. Out the window, small specks of white interrupted the dark view of the street. The girl’s eyes went wide as she turned her head in the direction of the window. Snow was falling, even gathering on the sidewalks. Amity Park hadn’t seen snow on Christmas Eve for a few years, and despite her dislike of the holiday, Dani always looked forward to the snowfall. It was quiet, serene, and beautiful, inspiring one to either gawk at it, play in it, or curl up by a fire while gawking at it.

Too bad it was so cold.

Vlad noticed her attention was elsewhere and he looked out the window as well. He chuckled and turned fully to the window, hugging Dani over her shoulders. The heroine placed a hand on his chest and smiled.

“I hope you get everything you want tomorrow,” the older half ghost said sincerely.

“Not to sound cheesy, but I already did,” the younger half ghost admitted. “I just didn’t want you to be alone.”

“And how lucky am I; to have someone like you.”

“What about you?” Dani asked, feeling her face heat up. “What do you want?”

“Like you, I already got it,” he proclaimed, looking down at her with affectionate eyes. “I get to spend this wonderful holiday with you.”

“So, the scarf I got you just won’t cut it?”

The billionaire laughed. “Well, now you’ve spoiled it.”

“It’s not like you believe in Santa Claus.”

“No, but I do like a good mystery,” he shared, stepping behind her and letting her arms drape over her. “Would you like to know what I got for you?”

“You got me something?” Dani asked, a little stunned.

“Of course, I did,” he replied, as if it would be silly if he hadn’t.

“Well…I think I want to be surprised,” the heroine said as her smile returned.

They gazed out the window together, watching the snow as it cascaded down from the black sky above. Even though it was cold outside, it was so very warm inside Fenton Works.

Sadly, it couldn’t last, and Dani and her mentor had to head upstairs. The ghost girl got her room ready for the older man and as she walked to the door with her pajamas and a blanket, she turned to him.

“Goodnight again,” she said shyly, hugging her things close to her chest.

“Goodnight,” he replied, taking off his sweater and placing it on the bed. “Merry Christmas, little badger.”

“Merry Christmas…Frootloop.”

The businessman’s eyebrows went up, but after a few seconds he was smiling once more. The young girl stepped out of the room then, feeling his warm gaze watching her as she left.

She had to admit it to herself; she wanted to stay with him. Even so, she knew better.

_Besides, there’s no way Jazz will let me see him, and even if I go after she’s asleep, she’s probably already thought of a way to stop me._

_Plus, I don’t want to disturb him while he’s sleeping._

Dani entered her sister’s room and found the futon all ready for her. It was lying adjacent to the older teen’s bed, with the teen herself lying within the bed.

Jazz noticed her when Dani closed the door behind her---her nose was in a book.

“Did you enjoy your time with Vlad?”

“Yeah, of course I did,” the heroine said plainly.

“Well, better get to sleep,” she advised. “Don’t want to keep Christmas waiting.”

“Not now, anyway,” the black-haired youth said with a grin before settling down unto the futon and cuddling with her red and blue blanket.

“See you in the morning, Dani.”

The half ghost rolled over so her back was to her sister, a sweet smile on her delicate face.

“Right back at you.”

As sleep took her, Dani felt at peace. For once, Christmas morning was not something she was dreading. Not only was Vlad with her, but her parents finally realized how their actions affected her, and now they would be working to change that. No longer would they squabble over things that didn’t matter. No longer would they belittle and demean each other with unkind words and half-truths. From now on, Christmas in the Fenton household would be warm, loving, and stress-free. From now on, Christmas for the young Dani Fenton would be a thing to celebrate and anticipate all year long, with her family and her truest love by her side.

_Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night._


End file.
